1992 cold case suspect extradited to Columbus on rape, murder charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A man suspected in the 1992 killing of Amy Hooper has been brought back to Ohio to face rape and murder charges.

According to court records, 58-year-old Bruce Daniels was extradited to Columbus on Wednesday, nearly three months after being apprehended in the state of Washington. In 2024, Daniels was named a person of interest in the murder of Hooper, who was found dead on March 9, 1992, in Lincoln Village of Prairie Township, west of Interstate 270.

DNA evidence leads to arrest in 1992 murder of 19-year-old woman

Hooper was found face up and naked on the floor in her Galloway Village apartment on Medfield Way. Police said she was bludgeoned in the head with an object and stabbed multiple times. The killer reportedly used a heart-shaped medallion with the Pan-African flag pained on it to bind her hands.

Police said there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle in the apartment, leading to the belief that Hooper knew her attacker, though it remains unknown how Hooper and Daniels may have been acquainted.

Daniels, who was living in Tumwater, Washington, was indicted in December on charges of murder and rape and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Dec. 4. For an earlier report on Daniels' arrest, see the video player above.

After being named a person of interest, investigators in Washington obtained an “item discarded” by Daniels related to a separate charge, and matched DNA on the object with evidence collected from Hooper’s body.

On Thursday, Daniels, who was 25 years old at the time of Hooper’s murder, faced a Franklin County Municipal Court judge for an arraignment hearing. He was issued a $500,00 bond and ordered to next appear in court for a preliminary court date March 14.